This article appears on UGA Today
Alumnus, businessman and civic leader T. Rogers Wade has been named the 2025 recipient of the Dooley Friends of the UGA Libraries Award at the University of Georgia, an honor dedicated to the legacy of academic support from legendary Bulldog football coach Vince Dooley and his wife, Barbara.
Like the Dooleys, who established the UGA Libraries’ first and largest endowment, Wade and his late wife, Marcia, have given their time and financial support to the UGA Library system to enhance academic experiences for students, as well as to preserve and share the record of Georgia’s rich history. For decades, Wade has served on the Richard B. Russell Foundation Board of Trustees, which supports a number of UGA initiatives including the Russell Library for Political Research and Studies, one of three special collections units housed at the Richard B. Russell Special Collections Building.
“Rogers and Marcia have impacted so many areas of our campus through their generosity, but their support for our libraries truly goes above and beyond,” said UGA President Jere W. Morehead. “It is a privilege to honor two stalwarts of our state and dedicated friends of the University of Georgia, and their investment will ensure that faculty, staff and students can continue to experience the excellence of our libraries for generations to come.”
The former vice chairman of the University System of Georgia Board of Regents, Wade served as chief of staff for U.S. Sen. Herman Talmadge, president and CEO of the Georgia Public Policy Foundation and special adviser to Gov. Nathan Deal. An endowment established by the Wades supports hands-on, research-based experiential learning opportunities for students at UGA’s special collections libraries.
To commemorate the award, a meeting room in the Russell Special Collections Building has been named after Rogers and Marcia Wade, who helped found Leadership Georgia.
“Marcia and Rogers Wade met when both were students at the University of Georgia, and for more than five decades they shared a deep commitment to our university and to public service,” University Librarian Toby Graham said. “We are proud to call them true friends of UGA and its libraries.”
A Dec. 1 event at the Russell Building marked the occasion with Rogers Wade, Barbara Dooley, UGA President Jere W. Morehead, former Gov. Nathan Deal, and former Chancellor Steve Wrigley, along with other Dooley family members and friends of Rogers and Marcia Wade.
The Dooley Award was established in 2024 to underscore the philanthropic legacy of the Dooleys and celebrate others who have generously contributed to the university’s mission through the UGA Libraries.